Schleicher County, Texas

Schleicher County Education, Geography, and History

Schleicher County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the state of Texas. Based on the 2010 census, its population was 3,461. Its county seat is Eldorado. The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1901. It is named for Gustav Schleicher, a German immigrant who became a surveyor and politician.

Etymology - Origin of Schleicher County Name

Gustav Schleicher, an early engineer and legislator in Texas

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Schleicher County History

Schleicher County is a county located in the US state of Texas. Its county seat is Eldorado. The county is named for Gustav Schleicher, a German immigrant who became a surveyor and politician.

Handbook of Texas Online
The Central Texas region, including Schleicher County, has supported human habitation for several thousand years. Archeological evidence discovered in several hundred mounds in the county suggests that hunting and gathering peoples established themselves in the area as early as 10,000 years ago. Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century found that the Jumano Indians living in the region were receptive to efforts to convert them to Christianity. Fray Juan de Salas and Father Juan de Ortega did some missionary work among the Jumanos in the 1630s, but by 1700 the Jumanos had disappeared, possibly absorbed into the Lipan Apache culture that had moved in from the north. The Comanche Indians dominated the region by the mid-eighteenth century, making their first recorded raid in 1758 against the Santa Cruz de San Sab?Mission in neighboring Menard County. Francisco Amangual led an expedition across the area in December 1808 and found the Indians to be friendly; nevertheless, the Spanish did not attempt further colonization in the area, probably because Amangual also reported no sign of American encroachment on the Spanish frontier. Schleicher County was part of the Fisher-Miller Land Grant, made by the Republic of Texas in 1842, but none of the immigrants who settled within the limits of the grant came so far west. Settlement of Schleicher County occurred well after the annexation of Texas to the United States. Some people may have moved into the easternmost part of the county after the United States War Department opened Camp San Saba (see FORT MCKAVETT) in western Menard County in 1852, but it was not until the mid-1870s that permanent ranches were established. The Texas legislature established Schleicher County from Crockett County in April 1887 and named it in honor of Gustav Schleicher, an early surveyor, engineer, and politician. It is not clear why the legislature decided to form the county at that time; there is no evidence available to suggest any lobbying efforts by local residents. In fact, because the county had such a small population, it was attached first to Kimble County and later to Menard County for judicial purposes. It was not until July 1901 that Schleicher County residents elected their first county officials. More at
Vivian Elizabeth Smyrl, "SCHLEICHER COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcs06), accessed January 24, 2016. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,311 square miles (3,395 km²). 1,311 square miles (3,394 km²) of it is land and about 1 km² (0 sq mi) of it is water.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Tom Green County (north)
• Menard County (east)
• Sutton County (south)
• Crockett County (west)
• Irion County (northwest)

Education

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